There are significant efforts underway in the Sacramento Valley to restore habitat in harmony with farming and our local communities. This includes project portfolios like those of the Floodplain Forward Coalition, whose member organizations have planned projects with an estimated need approaching $1 billion for restoration actions benefiting over ½ million acres–the size of 2 Los Angeleses. This presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity and restoration practitioners and regulators must prepare to manage a growing volume of projects to make the most of this moment. We are excited to continue the progress to advance and scale up floodplain reactivation in the Sacramento Valley. The new report by Sustainable Conservation, Accelerating Restoration in the Sacramento Valley and Beyond, will help landowners, conservation organizations, and agencies accelerate the implementation of these fish and wildlife restoration actions by applying restoration-specific regulatory tools.
California is at the threshold of a transformative era for landscape-level restoration. For decades, government agencies, NGOs, and restoration project proponents have worked to refine California’s regulatory and permitting systems to better support habitat restoration. When relying on traditional regulation, some restoration projects use up to one-third of their public funding for planning and permitting. One of the solutions is accelerated permitting pathways—specialized regulatory tools designed to expedite the approval process for habitat restoration projects. Their goal is to ensure environmental protection while enabling timely and effective ecological restoration.
The State’s Cutting Green Tape Initiative and other collective endeavors have created significant momentum to enhance permitting for restoration by implementing several new, efficient permitting processes. To effectively speed up the implementation of projects that support fisheries and floodplain reactivation across California, continued collaboration is needed between agencies and project proponents to fully implement the efficient permitting pathways and to identify any remaining actions necessary to comprehensively scale up restoration. This critical work aligns with the vision outlined in a recent Sacramento Bee Op-Ed by Wade Crowfoot and Ashley Boren, which highlights how innovative permitting solutions are essential to achieving California’s 30×30 conservations goals and enhancing climate resilience.
We encourage you to read and use the report linked below and to call if we can assist advance these projects.
Accelerating Restoration in the Sac Valley
RELATED
Upcoming Event: The Race to Restore Nature: Cutting the Green Tape for California’s Environment
Hosted by the California Natural Resources Agency, this event invites leaders and advocates to join the conversation on December 4 for a webinar discussing the path forward.
- Date: December 4, 2024
- Time: 12:00 PM
- Details & Registration: Click here to register
State leaders, conservation advocates, and restoration practitioners will explore progress, challenges, and new opportunities in California’s restoration efforts.
Dive deeper into restoration efforts with these resources:
- Blog: Roadmap for Restoration (August 2024)
- Blog: A Roadmap for Restoration (December 2023)
- Permitting Roadmap: norcalwater.org/wp-content/uploads/Permitting-Roadmap-DIGITAL_101223.pdf
As we work together to meet the state’s conservation and restoration goals, we encourage you to engage with these resources and events. Your support and collaboration are vital to building a more resilient future for California’s lands, waters, and communities.
